


Shaking is Caring

by mariadperiad20



Category: Doctor Strange (2016), Iron Man (Movies), Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017), The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: 5+1 Things, Established Relationship, Facial Hair Boyfriends, Light Angst, M/M, Pre-Relationship, StrangeIron, Strangefamily, Supremefamily, there are other characters but only mentions, there's a buildup throughout the chapters
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-02
Updated: 2018-06-15
Packaged: 2019-05-17 04:13:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 5,778
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14825046
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mariadperiad20/pseuds/mariadperiad20
Summary: 5 times Stephen's hands would shake, +1 time they didn't.No A:IW spoilers.





	1. Stress

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Basically, A:IW either didn't happen or was rendered a moot point. Either way, it is irrelevant entirely to this plot. No spoilers, and also no consequences; the way Marvel always intended it to be.

Stephen had been practicing the same spell for the past 5 hours and 32 minutes, and he was getting nowhere.

Of course, Stephen had never been one to shirk from practice, but this was illogically difficult to master. The spell _would_ enable him to replicate inanimates, if only it would _work_. Stephen sighed in frustration, rereading the page for the thousandth time, before standing up straight and raising his hands, focusing on the empty coffee mug sitting innocently on the table in front of him.

Stephen twisted his hands in a flourish, separated them, and pushed one hand towards the cup. It did nothing. Instead, Stephen stood there like an idiot, hand still outstretched, as if waiting for a high-five.

Of course, at that precise moment, Tony walked into the room. Stephen quickly dropped his arms, standing up straighter, and inclining his head towards Tony in greeting. "Good morning, Tony."

Tony looked at him oddly, but just replied, "Yeah, you too, Stephen." Then his gaze flicked down to the coffee mug. "Hey! That one's my favorite!" Tony snatched it away from the wizard protectively. "Practice spells on your own tableware, c'mon!"

Stephen grudgingly obliged. Maybe the change in mug would equal a change in his current failure rate? He picked out a mug that had "Smash Bros" on it. Stephen would bet his sling ring that it was Banner's, and probably a pun gift from Peter to boot. Banner wouldn't have any objections to Stephen practicing on his stuff. Since he was currently gone, anyway.

Tony wandered past him, somehow already drinking from the now-coffee-filled cup (wait, where did he get that? The coffee maker is unplugged.) Tony patted him on the back absentmindedly, "Good luck with the voodoo. Try not to break anything."

The easy casuality with which Tony interacted with him unsettled Stephen. It was awkward enough having to stay in the Avengers Compound rather than the Sanctum. Thanks to a very determined pack of magical termites, he was now standing in the - thankfully abandoned- common area rather than his library. Well, had been abandoned, Stephen thought ruefully as Tony sat down at one of the tables and flipping out his phone, undoubtedly pulling up an ungodly amount of tabs.

Maybe Stephen should call it a day. Or at least take it to his room instead, where there would be less distractions. Distractions meaning Tony. Tony meaning the man was sitting just out of Stephen's eyesight, and it made him feel anxious. Well, not anxious. Nervous. Nervous about failing. Regardless of how engrossed in work Tony appeared to be, Stephen knew he was paying some level of attention. And Stephen _hated_ failure. And he hated disappointing Tony even more.

Tony was always nervous around Stephen's magic. Magic in general. Stephen didn't really like to think about that, so he didn't. That's a lie. He'd think about it later, alone, when there was no work to occupy his thoughts. He was always thinking about it to some degree.

Gritting his teeth, Stephen practiced the exact same motion, meticulous in his delivery. Nothing. Not a single change. Growling in frustration, Stephen ran his -shaking- fingers through his hair. They sometimes shook when he was frustrated. They always shook when he was frustrated. They just... always shook.

Stephen closed the book harder than he meant to. Okay, probably more like slammed it, but potato pahtato. He knew Tony was watching him, could feel his gaze at his back, and refused to look. Refused to turn around and see Tony's all too understanding eyes, all too sympathetic face. Stephen stared at the mug in front of him as if he could _will_ it into double.

Stephen was rubbing his hands together as they shook, trying to soothe the twitching away. It would be so easy to magic it away. Fix it.

But he didn't. Wouldn't. It wasn't his place. His hands were his burden.

Instead, he would keep practicing on that accursed mug until it turned into two.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Woot woot! Third fic is up. This one is going to be a bit longer (and take longer to finish) than the previous two, so I hope it turns out well.
> 
> Comments and feedback are appreciated.
> 
> If you like what you read, I take requests/prompts; just send a request (anon is fine) to my tumblr: maidmarian19


	2. Exhaustion

Stephen practically crawled into the common area, his feet dragging on the ground, Cloak the only thing keeping him upright.

Everyone, for lack of a better phrase, looked like crap. Thor was snoring, half his body hanging over the top of the couch where he'd slumped the moment he'd entered the room. Wilson was asleep in a chair, head tilted up. Rhodey was sprawled over him, and Hawkeye had his head on his shoulder. Black Widow had vanished, probably to her room, but who knew at this point. The others were all curled up on the carpet.

Only Tony looked halfway awake, and even then, it was only halfway. The man was staring off absentmindedly, back leaning against a wall, head in one hand. His drumming fingers against his chest was the only sign he was even conscious.

It had been a long fight.

Stephen stumbled over to an empty couch, sinking into it. He hadn't felt this tired in... he didn't even know. Probably during his residency. Still, he didn't feel like resting. His eyes felt glued open, having reached that point of exhaustion where one could no longer sleep. He sat there, staring at nothingless.

After a while, Stephen wasn't sure how long, Tony was standing in front of him, holding something out.

Stephen blinked sluggishly, eyes refocusing. It was a cup of coffee. Tony had dumped way too much grounds and not enough water in it; it was basically caffeinated sludge. Perfect. Just the way he liked it.

"If you're not gonna sleep, you might as well be awake." Tony said. Stephen felt like it was supposed to be said with a flourish, but it just sounded tired, with none of Tony's usual smirk.

Stephen accepted the mug with a tired "Thanks," wrapping his fingers around it. Tony's brushed his as he pulled away, and smiled softly as Stephen blinked again.

Stephen lifted the cup to his mouth... and it promptly slipped through his fingers, smashing onto the ground. Ceramic shards scattered across the ground. Coffee spilled out on the floor, soaking the carpet.

Stephen's hands were shaking. His hands were shaking too hard to hold a cup of _coffee_. He could feel his face flushing in embarrassment.

Tony didn't say anything, just looked at the cup with a carefully neutral expression. Stephen wasn't sure whether to feel grateful or angry.

He settled for guilty instead.

Stephen reversed the action, watching as the fragments recombined, and the beloved beverage turned from back from a stain into a drink. The moment it was back, whole, in his hands, he placed the other hand underneath the cup, gripping it with two hands. "Sorry about that." Stephen really was sorry, but he was too exhausted to put any real emotion into it.

He looked up at Tony, and felt his heart sink. Tony was staring at the cup, eyes wide and slightly panicked. Although he hadn't moved from where he stood, he was visibly tensed. His smile had vanished, and his hands were half-clenched.

After a moment, though, Tony pulled his face into his trademark grin, speaking as he walked back to his chair. "It's no problem. I don't have a grip, either." It was meant to be casual, but sounded distinctly stiff.

Stephen drank the (quite caffeinated) coffee, watched Tony for a while, and, eventually, fell asleep.

It wasn't until a few weeks later, when he saw a dusty cup sitting in the back of the cupboard, did Stephen realize it had been Tony's proclaimed "favorite" mug.

Had been.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so tired writing this that my eyes keep defocusing. Oops.
> 
> Comments and feedback are appreciated.
> 
> Once again, feel free to hit me up on tumblr (@ maidmarian19) to submit requests/prompts :)


	3. Fear

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shuri and Peter are here! (...and they are _definitely_ stealing the entire show, circus and all)

Stephen was floating in his room, meditating. His eyes were closed, and, though he was physically in the Compound, he was in the universe, everywhere but nowhere. Seeing all of the universe laid out before him, every planet and every living being. It felt... invigorating... to see life abounding in all forms.

Stephen believed in magic, so a higher power wasn't much of a stretch. All of this life, all of these civilizations... if he had any doubts, he certainly didn't now. How strange it was, to feel so small because of power that enabled him to see so much. There was some level of irony in it, Stephen was sure. He didn't care to investigate it, however. In this moment, his thoughts, and his very existence, were irrelevant.  
All things existed together, united in life.

How long Stephen watched the - not nothingness, but rather _everythingness_ \- universe, he wasn't sure. Time had no meaning here. Still, he slowly began to pull himself back into his physical form. As he folded himself into his body, he began to feel his blood pumping in his veins, his breath entering and exiting his lungs.

It was as if he was hyperaware of his own body's existence for a few brief moments. Stephen kept his eyes closed a while longer, allowing the last vestiges of his mind to organize themselves, before slowly opening his eyes.

And seeing Peter Parker's concerned face two inches from his own.

Stephen immediately fell to the ground, light exploding out around him, shooting across the floor and walls, spreading as glowing orange tendrils of pure energy. Within seconds, the entire room glowed with magic, and Peter was temporarily blinded by a very bright, very warm light in front of his face.

Almost as soon as it arrived, the light vanished, making the room suddenly appear substantially darker. Peter blinked, staring openmouthed at Stephen, whose eyes were wide and panicked, hands in a defensive magical position, before snapping it shut. Stephen slowly lowered his hands, and gesticulated at Peter to speak.

"I am so sorry Dr. Dad I didn't know you were busy I just wanted to ask you about opening a portal to Wakanda because I forgot my backpack, and it's kinda important but then when I knocked you didn't answer so I was worried and then you were all floaty and I know you do that when you're working so I waited but then you didn't do anything for a really long timeand I was worried so I went to make sure you were breathing and stuff and then you woke up and-"

Stephen gracefully rose to his feet, waving his trembling hand dismissively at a guilty-looking Peter, who fell silent. "Don't worry about it. I'm fine." He raised an eyebrow after a moment. "You left your bag at Wakanda? That's the third time this month. And it's only the 18th."

"Yeah well Shuri was showing me so much cool stuff, and I was excited to tell Ned about it, so-" This time, Peter cut himself off. "Yes. I did."

Stephen sighed, pulling out his sling ring. "All right. No stopping to chat this time, okay? I don't want to be leaving this open for another hour."

Stephen opened a portal, stepped through, and looked around, spotting a red backpack lying on the ground a few meters away. _"Doctor Dad?"_ , he mouthed to himself, puzzled.

"He left it again?"

Stephen turned to see Shuri grinning at him over a stack of spears in her arms.

"Yes." Stephen said neutrally, closing the portal as Peter tried to enter through it behind him. He was not going to stand around while they "scienced" and "memed". That's why Peter was here earlier; so he wouldn't do it in Stephen's ear 24/7 at the Compound.

"He always does that." Shuri laughed, placing the pile onto a table. "He's quite forgetful, isn't he?"

"It's ridiculous."

"It's endearing." Shuri replied casually, back turned. A moment later she swiveled around, pen in hand. "How's your Sanctum doing?"

Stephen groaned. "At this point, it's not my Sanctum. It's the bugs'."

"Why don't you ask Dr. Lang to get rid of them?" Shuri asked, watching as Stephen walked over to the backpack. "He can talk to bugs."

"And do what, exactly? Ask them politely to leave?" Stephen shot back. The backpack strap kept slipping out of his hands. Leftover nerves from when Peter had surprised him, he supposed.

"Well, yes." Shuri shrugged. She paused, smile fading a little as she watched the backpack fall out of his hands once more. "You know, we-"

"So how's your brother doing?" Stephen asked, purposefully avoiding the teenager's gaze.

Shuri smirked. "He is... currently quite blue."

"Oh. He's upset? Did Vibranium stock go down or something?"

"No." Shuri was grinning wider. "He looks like Violet Beauregard post-stretch." Stephen nodded carefully, while mentally deciding to never get on her bad side. Ever.

Stephen finally managed to slide the bag's strap onto his wrist, and lifted it that way, before sliding it onto his shoulder with his other hand.

"I apologize for the disruption." Stephen said politely, opening a portal.

Shuri shrugged again. "You should come by next time with Peter. We have a lot of medical technology you might be interested in. Dr. Stark is already here every weekend." Shuri frowned. "He always flies in, though."

"Oh. Thank you." Stephen replied, a little thrown. He was intrigued by the offer, yet disappointed by the second statement. Tony frequented Wakanda, but would rather waste time flying around than step through one of his portals. It would only take seconds. Did Tony think he would be incapable of such a task?

No. More likely, Tony would think Stephen would open a portal into deep space and push him through. That stung. A lot.

"Anyways, you're invited. Might as well get the whole family involved, huh?" Shuri winked.

"What?" Stephen asked, head jerking up a bit.

"You know, the whole..." Shuri trailed off, confused. "Oh, Peter thought... Nevermind." She waved him away. "Off you go Doctor! I have work to do."

Stephen went back through a portal, a still-shamefaced Peter waiting for him. He handed - well, dropped - the backpack to Peter, who took it and practically scampered out of the room, shouting a thanks over his shoulder.

Stephen went back to meditating. He certainly needed it, now. He could ask Peter about Shuri's little comment later, but, for right now, he just needed to look at the cosmos and feel insignificant again.

\---

Meanwhile, Shuri swiveled in her chair and grinned, camera-pen in hand. "Doctor Strange wearing Peter's backpack? Blackmail for days!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments and feedback are appreciated.
> 
> Requests/prompts to my tumblr (maidmarian19)  
> \--> this is my way of begging for ideas. i need fic ideas and motivation to do them. hlep.


	4. Pain

"What the hell was that?" Tony's faceplate melted away to reveal his extremely, extremely pissed off face.

Stephen scowled. "It was imperative to defeat Black Knight as soon as possible. No one was injured."

"Yeah. No one. Except you." Tony was angry. Irrationally angry, in Stephen's opinion. He had been no more injured than he had in previous fights. Being trampled by a horse hadn't been pleasant per se, but it wasn't going to kill him. Probably.

Besides, he had succeeded. Once Black Knight was thrown off of his steed, it was painfully easy to defeat him. Granted, Stephen probably could've been more careful, but he had been a little distracted by the _medieval knight on a horse_ that had crashed through the ceiling of a coffee shop he (and a dozen patrons) had been sitting in.

"You should have called for backup." Tony was still talking at him. Huh. Stephen couldn't hear very well. Probably a minor concussion. Actually, probably not so minor, considering the circumstances. He'd worry about that later. At the moment, there was a retort to be made.

"There wasn't time."

"Says the Time Lord." Tony threw up his hands exasperatedly.

They were currently standing in the middle of a very destroyed café. Stephen looked down at their feet. Oh. He was standing on a menu. Those were supposed to go on tables, weren't they?

Tony was snapping his fingers in Stephen's face. "Hey, you ok?" He asked, concern in his voice, eyes immediately softening.

"I'd be fine if you weren't chastising me like a disappointed father." Stephen spat venom. "You would know-" He stopped. It wasn't fair to bring Howard into this. Frankly, it would never be fair. "-the situation if you were here." He finished calmly.

Tony frowned, but seemed to relax slightly. "I'm glad you're okay, Stephen. I wish you had called me, though. Black Knight usually only goes after me. And I would've wanted to help."

Stephen wasn't really sure how to respond, so he just began fixing the café as best he could with his magic without shattering the universe and ripping the fabric of time.

Tony tensed a little as objects flew by around him, but at least he didn't fully panic like he had the time at the zoo (granted, that might have had something to do with the flying rhinos).

"I appreciate the sentiment, Tony, but I assure you, everything was handled." He paused. "I will make an effort to contact you in the future." That was a lie. Stephen planned on never _inviting_ Tony into a dangerous situation. Ever. "So long as you contact me next time _you_ face a villain."

Tony visibly stiffened. "That's different."

"Oh?" Stephen raised an eyebrow. "Care to enlighten me?"

"I have armor. You just have your sling ring on you."

Stephen practically growled at Tony, striding past him. The menu slid away under his shoe. He should pick that up.

"Don't walk away from me!" Tony protested, reaching out but not touching, because even when he was angry Tony was always considerate, never pushed too far beyond where Stephen was comfortable being, never said anything that would cut too deep.

Damn Tony and his heart.

Damn Stephen's, for feeling that way.

At the moment, though, all Stephen could see was that stupid _-blurry?-_ menu, with his dingy footprint on it. He knew Tony was speaking, but it all sounded too loud and too quiet and too muffled to make sense.

Yeah, it definitely was leaning towards a grade 2 concussion.

He immediately opened a portal, but, when he tried to step forward, he staggered. Tony caught him instantly, supporting his weight with his own. "Like I said," Tony muttered, "You should have called for backup, Stephen." It was spoken softly, as if Tony was afraid of startling him.

Stephen tried to wrap an arm around Tony's shoulders so as to stand up better and take some weight off of Tony, but his hands were trembling like leaves and couldn't grip the armor.

Tony shifted slightly, and the nanotech armor moved, wrapping gently around Stephen's hand and arm. It didn't matter that Stephen couldn't hold onto anything in this predicament; Tony worked where he was broken.

Tony was pale as a sheet, eyes fixed on the still-open portal. Even in his distorted state, Stephen could hear the sound of Tony clenching his teeth. He shook his head feebly as Tony walked towards the portal, determined, yet still hesitant.

"You don't have to Tony, it's fine. I can just go through by myself."

Tony smirked, but it looked like a grimace. "Can't have you passing out between dimensions. Rogers would have a fit."

Stephen tried to protest, but then Tony was lugging him through the portal and into SHIELD medical. It spun closed behind them, while Tony flagged down a couple of nurses.

"I wouldn't have gone through the damn thing, if I knew this was where we'd end up." Tony complained. Only the clear sarcastic tone in his voice allowed Stephen to _not_ panic about traumatizing his- about traumatizing Tony.

He was still beyond confused that Tony would go anywhere near his magic, even in the case of emergency. He had surpassed Stephen's expectations. Not that he was disappointed.

Stephen didn't have long to ponder it, as he was released from the armor, and promptly shoved into a hospital bed.

\---

A few hours later, Stephen is nursing a cup of tea, headache firmly in place, but brain thankfully undamaged. Tony sits across from him in a plastic, pastel-yellow chair.

They sit there, in an almost-comfortable silence, until Tony suddenly asks. "So... what did happen to Black Knight? What'd you do with him?"

Stephen blinked for a moment, having forgotten the villain in all the mess that followed. Dawning realization filled his eyes, and he sat bolt upright, nearly spilling his drink. "I left him falling."

"You left him... what?" Tony watched as Stephen practically leapt out of bed (putting his shoes on the wrong feet, Tony noted), while the Cloak fluttered behind him. The tea was placed absently onto a end table, already forgotten.

"Falling." Stephen kissed Tony on the cheek. "I need to go to jail."

"Uh... did you just kiss me?" Tony asked dumbfoundedly, turning around to see Stephen already gone.

"How rude. You could've at least told me we were dating." Tony spun around in his chair, looking down at the cup of now-abandoned tea. He smiled a small, innocent grin at the sight of it. "I'd have bought you your own mug."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments and feedback are appreciated.
> 
> Personal note: Black Knight was one of my favorite Iron Man villains from the animated cartoon. (The one with the weird helmet animation sequence, y'all know the one). He rode a horse, had a full suit of armor, and talked fancy, so I naturally thought he was the coolest thing ever; plus his horse flew _without wings_. My impressionable mind was blown. To this day he's one of my favorite "goofy" villains.


	5. Guilt

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW: blood (as an injury). Not gory though. I just don't want anyone to be unpleasantly surprised or scared, so here's my little warning.

Stephen walked to his room casually, a stack of filched books floating after him. Even though all the books were being kept in a storage unit, it didn't keep Wong from constantly complaining about portalling in the "library". Still, it was a quiet day in the city, and he was looking forward to learning some new spells. Just because he was Sorcerer Supreme didn't mean he got to slack off.

Stephen opened the door with a flick of his wrist, then froze.

A cold breeze blew was blowing through the window. Which was smashed. From the outside.

The books landed on the ground silently behind him, as Stephen stepped forward carefully, eyes narrowing, on full alert. He called magic to his hands, letting them light up orange.

"Who is there?" He asks, voice colder than the air around him. "Reveal yourself, or be revealed."

A head popped up from behind his bed, frantic. "Doctor Dad!"

It was Peter.

Stephen released the magic, instantly relaxing. "Peter." Then, he paused. "What are you doing in here?"

"Oh, uh... about that." Peter sounded... off. Out of breath, maybe. Stephen began to feel increasingly nervous, and began approaching cautiously, feeling worry winding its way through his veins.

"I... um, I messed up." Peter breathed out. "Bad."

Stephen turned the side, and his heart froze. Peter was slumped against the side of the bed, mask off, tears streaming down his face. Blood was steadily soaking into the sheets, and the suit, where a bloody, twisted piece of rebar was impaled through his right arm.

Peter looked up, eyes conveying absolute, unadulterated _fear_. "Help me."

Stephen dropped hard to his knees by Peter's side, turning his head to the ceiling. "FRIDAY! Call Tony." The A.I. didn't respond.

Peter scrabbled at Stephen weakly, injured arm still close to his body. "No. Not Mr. Stark. He can't know."

"Peter. What did you do to FRIDAY?" Stephen asked, poking at the ceiling with a bit of magic and receiving no response.

"Disabled her. Couldn't let her tell him. He'd... worry."

"And I wouldn't?"

Peter seemed momentarily thrown, and didn't reply for a moment. "Sorry." He whispered, staring at the floor.

Stephen didn't reply, instead using a spell to rip the fabric of the suit open around the wound to he could get a closer look. At least the kid had the good sense not to pull it out. He probably would have bled out if he had, considering the position of the rebar.

"I'm going to teleport you to a hospital." Stephen said, getting ready to open a portal.

Peter tried to jump to his feet, but just fell back down to the ground with a hissed cry. "No! No hospitals!" He managed to croak out. "My blood. They can't get it."

"I know someone who won't care." Christine would be discreet if he asked her to.

"Can you promise me that no one, in the entire hospital, will try to keep a hold of Spiderman's blood? Or even just Peter Parker's?" Peter shot back. "I can't have my identity revealed. Or my abilities misused."

Stephen hesitated, then conceded. "Fine. What do you want me to do about it, then?"

Peter grabbed Stephen's wrist weakly. "You do it."

Stephen balked. "You can't expect-"

"Either you do it, or I'm throwing myself out this window and doing it myself." Peter's eyes were determined, but Stephen could see the fear underneath. Of course he was afraid. It was a scary situation for anyone to be in, especially for a kid.

"Peter... are you sure?" Stephen asked, calling up magic once more. "It's going to hurt."

"Can't hurt much more than it already does now." Peter tried for a grin, but it turned into a grimace almost immediately. "Just do it."

Stephen sprung into full doctor mode, hyperfocusing on the injury at hand. The rebar that was in his arm was straight, which was good, but it looked like the front part had been twisted, as if in a hard grip. Stephen cut off that piece with a flash of magic. He'd figure out who had hurt Peter later. And get revenge later. For the moment, he was Doctor Strange. He would be Doctor Dad after this. And then, when Peter was gone... he'd be Sorcerer Supreme. And heaven help whoever was responsible.

Right now the not-fun part. Peter seemed to know it was coming, judging by the way his grip tightened on the bloodied sheets until his knuckled were white.

"I'm sorry, Peter." Stephen whispered. Then, using a bolt of magic, pulled the rebar through Peter's arm, and out entirely.

Peter screamed.

Stephen let the rebar fall with a muffled clatter onto the carpet. It cut through the moment, Peter snapping his jaw shut so tightly his teeth audibly clacked.

"This floor is soundproof, right?" Peter gritted out, looking tightly up at the ceiling.

"Yes."

"Good." Peter replied. He paused for a moment, as Stephen began using a magical needle to give stitches. "I'm sorry, Doctor Dad. There was nowhere else I could go."

Stephen didn't look up from his arm. "I know, Peter. I really do. Just... don't make it a habit."

Peter nodded in silent agreement, still staring at Stephen's face, even after Stephen sat back, satisfied with his work.

"Please don't tell Mr. Stark." Peter blurted out.

Stephen sighed heavily. "I won't."

"No, really, he can't-" Peter paused. "Wait, really?"

"You're my patient. Confidentiality still applies." Stephen raised an eyebrow. "Or did you forget that I was a doctor, too?"

"I..." Peter trailed off. "No?"

Stephen raised his other eyebrow. "Why don't you call it quits for the night? Go home, get some rest."

"Okay. Do you want me to help clean up? Or fix FRIDAY? I'm sorry for bleeding all over your room." Peter was trying to put on his usual eagerness, but it fell flat.

"No. It's fine. Just... go. I'll take care of the mess." Stephen opened a portal.

"I can just swing-"

"No."

"I feel-"

"No."

"Thank you, Doctor Dad. Seriously." Peter said, before stepping through, mask in hand.

Stephen closed the portal, and, muttering to himself, magicked all the blood into a plastic container. Stephen opened another portal, and then bent down, picking up both the container and the piece of rebar. He stepped forward to the edge of the portal, and tossed both through.

Directly into the sun.

Stephen closed the portal with a determined slash of his hand, sparing a moment to repair the broken window, before walking off his floor. He decidedly couldn't handle being in there right now, studying or not.

He walked into the common area, and spotted Tony sitting on a table with half the wall off. When he saw Stephen approaching, he hopped down, small smile spreading over his face.

"So, FRIDAY went down on your floor." Tony leaned across the table casually. "Care to explain?"

Stephen immediately covered for Peter. "I shut her down. With my magic. I wanted to practice some... proprietary spells."

"Proprietary spells." Tony repeated, face falling a little.

"Yes." Stephen said brusquely, keeping his expression perfectly neutral.

Tony sighed, stepping forward so that he was almost-touching Stephen, eyes soft. "I thought I told you, I don't care if you're having trouble. I'm not going to be mad, or judge you, for being stuck on some stupid spell."

Stephen blinked. Oh. That's what Tony thought this was about.

"I didn't want to make you feel like you... couldn't make mistakes around me. It's okay if you're having a hard time. I'm sorry, Stephen. I should have made that clear." Tony scrubbed at his face for a moment, conflicted. "I know I'm not good with the whole... emotions... thing, but I care about you Stephen. Whether you know a spell or not, that doesn't change. It's okay."

Stephen felt his heart constrict. Tony was apologizing. To him. Because Tony thought Stephen was afraid of his disappointment.

He wanted to tell Tony the truth, then and there, and beg forgiveness, damn the consequences. But he had promised Peter. His patient. And Tony didn't have the right to know. Technically.

Never before had Stephen hated technicalities so much.

Stephen shook his head. He didn't know how to respond. Couldn't respond, really. If he spoke, he would betray Peter's confidence instantly.

But by remaining silent... he was betraying Tony. Tony's trust.

Tears came to Stephen's eyes unbidden, and he tore his eyes away from Tony, staring hard at the wall to his right, trying to blink away his guilt.

Callused hands took his shaking ones. Stephen looked back down at Tony, surprised. His brown eyes instantly captivated Stephen, filled with such tenderness it hurt to look. But still, Stephen could not bear to look away.

"It's okay, Stephen."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments and feedback are appreciated.
> 
> Ohhh man, I rewrote this chapter so many times. I had a lot of difficulty with encapsulating the conflict Stephen would feel over keeping it secret from Tony. I felt that, since he was a doctor, he would still be held to patient confidentiality (at least morally speaking). It's not Stephen taking sides, or prioritizing Peter or anything; it's just what I think he would do considering how seriously he takes his profession.


	6. Love

"Doctor? Please wake up. Now."

Stephen opened his eyes groggily, checking the clock. It was a little after three. "What is it?"

FRIDAY's insistent voice cut through the fatigue like a knife. "It's Boss. Help him."

Stephen shot out of bed, practically tripping over his own feet in his haste. "Where?"

"Bedroom." FRIDAY's voice was increasingly panicked. "Please, hurry. The elevator is waiting."

"Don't need it." Stephen said brusquely, opening a portal and stepping straight through into Tony's bedroom.

Stephen took in his surroundings. The lights were off, the room dark. Stephen squinted, looking around, before spotting... Tony.

Tony was curled up against the corner of the far wall, head in his hands. Even from here, Stephen could see the man physically shaking. Stephen crossed the room in a few long strides, sinking to his knees next to Tony. Tony didn't even look up; he was completely out of it, and didn't seem aware that Stephen was even there.

"I do not know what to do." FRIDAY said softly, "I do not understand."

That would make Stephen's job significantly harder.

He hesitantly reached out, keeping his hand hovering a few inches from Tony's shoulder. "Tony?" He asked softly.

Tony flinched hard, slamming his back against the wall. Beyond that, however, he remained motionless, save for the shaking.

Stephen began to speak, making his tone as soothing as possible, whispering sweet nothings to Tony. He didn't try to touch Tony, not wanting to startle him any more than he already was. His hands braced against his knees as he kept talking. About anything and everything, really.

"-so, anyway, my running theory is that she turned T'Challa blue like from Willy Wonka, but with Shuri no one knows what it actually is. Okoye has been sworn to silence, supposedly, but Peter-"

Tony had stopped shaking, and lifted his head out of his hands. His eyes were still glassed over, however. "Peter?"

Stephen felt his heart soar, but forced his voice to remain unaffected. "Yeah. Peter saw her cracking up with Shuri over by the replicator yesterday. The king has yet to actually make an appearance, but I'm sure she'll post it somewhere. From there, it's just a matter of time before it becomes a Wakandan meme."

There was no response from Tony.

Stephen decided to switch gears, forcing levity into his voice. "Tony, it's Stephen. Sorcerer Supreme. I'd appreciate if you pulled yourself out of this. Otherwise, I'm going to have to go to _Wong_ just for a decent conversation. And he's not exactly a wordsmith."

"Stephen?" Tony asked softly, a confused look spreading across his face.

Stephen decided then and there that 'confusion' was not a good look on Tony Stark.

"Yes. Stephen Strange. Sorcerer Supreme. Protector of the Universe."

"Sexy Doctor Wizard," Tony replied automatically.

Stephen was momentarily taken aback. "Tony?"

"Stephen?" Tony breathed, finally _truly_ looking at Stephen.

"I'm here." Stephen said softly, holding out his hand.

Tony instantly shot forward into Stephen, burying his face in his chest. His arms wrapped around him like a vice, and Stephen returned the gesture immediately, if more gently. The Levitation Cloak slid off of Stephen's shoulders, wrapping itself around Tony like a blanket.

They sat there for who knew how long until, eventually, Tony pulled back. His lips quirked up, and he shot Stephen a nervous grin. "I was wondering how long it would take to get you into my bedroom."

"Well, you never exactly invited me." Stephen replied.

Tony's smile widened. He looked over Stephen's shoulder, and his smile froze a little, eyes scanning. "Well, your redecorating is certainly something."

Stephen looked away from Tony for the first time since entering the room, and felt his heart sink. The room was lit in a soft orange glow, and warmth exuded from tendrils of light that curled around the walls. Stephen hadn't even realized he had done it. Now, as he watched Tony's expressions shift, he realized it was probably only causing Tony more stress.

"Sorry." Stephen said, dissipating the magic with a harried wave of his hand. The magic faded into mist, before vanishing into the air, leaving no sign it had ever been there to begin with. The sudden lack of magic made the room feel instantly colder, and the Cloak pulled tighter around Tony's shoulders.

Tony turned his gaze back to Stephen, face unreadable. He reached out, cupping Stephen's face with one hand. Tony cocked his head to the side.

"Do it again."

Stephen blinked, then complied. Magic sprung from his hands, lighting the room back up as before. The light cast a warm glow to Tony's skin, making any sign of his haggardness vanish and his eyes sparkle. He was stunning.

Tony stared at it, eyes filled with wonder. "It's beautiful." His gaze fixed onto Stephen's. "You're beautiful."

Stephen felt his breath hitch in his throat, and Tony leaned forwards, open hand coming up to grip Stephen's. Their fingers intertwined; ribbons of magic wrapped between their hands and up their arms, connecting them, uniting them.

Their lips met, and the light seemed to pulse, becoming more radiant. More beautiful. More magical.

And that was good.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, that was an adventure! I hope you all enjoyed this fic. I sure enjoyed writing it :) If you like what you read, send a prompt, idea, or headcanon to my Tumblr (maidmarian19) and I'll write something for it.
> 
> Comments and feedback are appreciated.


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